NEWS & UPDATES

A cold, wet day at Towcester ! RED ADMIRABLE was not a fan – 3m in very soft ground and twice up the hill was all a bit much, and he couldn’t follow up last time’s win with another. Still, I’d be disappointed if he can’t win again this season – we’ll just pick something that’s a less extreme test of stamina next time out.

KAYF BLANCO fared better in the novice chase. Although he had no chance with the winner – RATHER BE, who looks a smart prospect – he had a good battle for the places, before eventually losing out for second to the higher-rated WAR SOUND. I’d say he’ll come on for that run, and since he’s in good heart at home, I’d home we can improve next time and get his first win over fences under his belt.

Nice to see HOLLYWOOD ALL STAR back out for his seasonal debut – as the going gets softer, he re-appears !! Richard Condon gave him a nice ride too, looking after him when the race had gone, but making sure that he ran all the way to the line to finish 6th, beaten about 10 lengths. If we get a wet Christmas, I’d expect to have him out in very soft ground early in the New Year.

A nice run too from SCOOBY at Fakenham. Placed again, he was beaten less than 3 lengths after mistakes at the last 2 hurdles cost him momentum. I’d rather find a more galloping track for him, but finding the ground is more important, hence the journey to Fakenham. Fingers crossed for a drier start to January !

BALLINA LADY was ridiculously keen in the opening novice, but Kielan let her bowl along in front, and she travelled and jumped nicely enough before getting tired in the home straight. She won’t win a maiden or a novice, but she’ll win a handicap – and on what she has shown us at home, she’ll be a better mare over fences too.

AMI DESBOIS gave me some nervous moments before the race – the ground was getting patchy in places as the temperature dropped – but he handled it fine. Popped out in front from the start, he jumped and travelled well and never saw another horse to record his second win in 2 starts in novice chases. He’ll step up in grade now – either the Kauto Star on Boxing Day or the Dipper or New Years Day will be his likely targets.

SERPICO completed a good day. He’d struggled with his wind at Southwell last time out, but after a couple of minor tweaks from Ben Brain, we were hopeful we’d see an improved horse. Its fair to say that he was still thinking about it – you could see how on the second circuit he was reluctant to go through with his effort – but under a strong ride from Kielan he ran all the way to the line, and showed that there is still a talented horse in there.

A disappointing run from VISAGE BLANCHE at Leicester today. She travelled well, jumped beautifully and looked every inch the winner 2 out. But then she faded very badly, and Kielan reported that she emptied very quickly. That’s something we need to get to the bottom of – for some reason she’s just not showing the class that she had last year.

DAHILLS HILL’s unseat at the 3rd completed a miserable day at Leicester – and she than ran another 2 circuits before we could catch her ! She’s fine though.

Nice to see TOUCH OF VELVETT back on the track at Ludlow today after her autumn break. She came there to win her race, but just found a couple of mares that were too quick for her in the finish – not surprising given that TOV has a proper National Hunt pedigree. She’ll go over hurdles next – she’s schooled well at home, and has already run in 1 point to point.

A better run from SKIPTHECUDDLES at Southwell today, although Kielan reported that he didn’t much enjoy the tight left handed track there. He travelled and jumped pretty well, and stayed on nicely in the home straight. The winner looked a well-handicapped horse and won pretty easily, but there was then only 5 lengths back from second to Westie. He’s a difficult horse to get fit at home – never does a tap on the gallops in his work – and so I’d say there is still improvement to come from him.

A nice debut in the bumper at Plumpton from ITS FINE WINE today. He’s a horse that is bred to jump and to get better as he gets older, so to see him staying on really well up the home straight to run into a place was pleasing. He’s a pretty grown up horse already for a 4yo, and so we’ll likely go straight over hurdles with him next.

A head-scratchingly, uncharacteristically lacklustre performance from PADDYS RUNNER at Doncaster today. He’s usually such a genuine horse, but today he was just never at the races. That’s not him at all, so we’ll get to the bottom of what caused that, and get him out when he’s right again.

HEY BILL, MY CHARITY, RIO BRAVO and DELIRIOUS LOVE all ran at Doncaster for the better ground. HEY BILL was making his debut over fences, and all in all, he travelled and jumped pretty well, and although a couple of mistakes at the last 2 fences put paid to his challenge, he stayed on to finish in the places. I wonder if a drop back in trip to 22f might help him, although he did win over hurdles over 3m. MY CHARITY also ran into a place in the novice hurdle, although he had no chance with the winner ENNISCOFFEY OSCAR – I think we might have seen a nice horse there. MC will definitely stay further on good ground, so we’ll either stay around 20f if the ground gets soft, or step up closer to 3m if we can find better ground. RIO BRAVO also did nothing wrong to be fair, just getting run out of the places in the last furlong after attempting to make all in a slowly run race. Its difficult to know his perfect trip – he travels like a 2miler but probably just lacks the speed for that, while 2m 4f stretches him. He probably wants 2m on softer ground – and he definitely wants a fence in front of him in time ! DELIRIOUS LOVE’s race did not go to plan – he’s such a chilled horse at home, and was completely relaxed in the preliminaries, but as soon as the tapes went up he took a fierce hold and gave poor Charlie Deutsch no chance at all to settle him or run a race. The tank was entry by the time they turned for home, and he trailed home a pretty distant last. He’s a lot better than that, and next time you see him he’ll have a wall of horses in front of him from the start to try to get him settled !

BENEFICIAL JOE completed the day, with a run at Newbury. I’m afraid it was one run too many for him – he’s been on the go since the spring, and he’ll now have a break before he comes back over fences in the spring.

SILVA SAMOURAI never really got into the race at Hereford today – whether it was the ground or the trip I just don’t know, but it was a disappointing effort after a promising couple of runs previously. I think maybe better ground is the key for him.

HARRY HUNT is enjoying his swansong ! After placing at Goodwood on the flat and then winning at Ayr over fences, he went to Sedgefield today to try to follow up. Fair to say that things didn’t go entirely to plan – the race wasn’t really run to suit, and he couldn’t go with the eventual winner when he quickened on the final circuit – but he stayed on into a place, making his record 1 win and 3 places from 4 starts since he switched back to fences. Not bad for an old man in the twilight of his career !!

A better run from CRANBROOK CAUSEWAY at Ludlow today. He’d been very green indeed on debut, dropping away tamely when the race really got started, but he showed a tougher attitude today, knuckling down in the home straight and having his own little battle for the minor places. He’s a lovely big horse, and one to watch out for once he’s handicapped.

I’d been looking forward to today for a long time – Fletch, who we’ve named NORMAN STANLEY, was making his debut on the track. I have thought a lot of him ever since he arrived as a store 2 years ago, and while he’s not what you’d call a ‘classic’ bumper horse – he’s too big, proper chasing material – I’d hoped he would do himself justice. He didn’t disappoint, running into the places without any difficulty despite being pretty green throughout the race. He’ll come on a bundle for that, and since it looks to have been a pretty decent bumper, I think he’s certainly got a bumper win in him. The fun will really start when we step up in trip and go over obstacles with him though – he’s going to be a very nice horse.

Another pleasing run from SCOOBY today, this time at Southwell, to continue his very consistent run of wins and places that now stretches back more than 12 months. Its a shame that there was nothing for him at the moment over 3 miles, as he was staying on very nicely over today’s 20f trip – give him a bit further, and a bit of luck, and he’ll have his head in front next time.

DAHILLS HILL made her debut for us at Fontwell today after arriving from Ireland, and she ran OK. A couple of mistakes when a bit keen on the first circuit didn’t help her cause, but she stayed on well enough to make you think there is a race or two in her.

I’m keeping a promise I made at Wetherby today – to update the website this morning if AMI DESBOIS won !

We’ve got a good record at Wetherby – its one of my favourite tracks – and despite today’s 2 mile trip being on the short side for him, it was a good place to start AMI’s chasing career, with lovely ground, nice fences and a competitive, but not overly-competitive, field. He travelled superbly, jumped like an old handicapper, showed a good turn of foot in the home straight and dug deep in the last 1/2 mile to win nicely. The outing was very much about giving him a good experience over his fences first time out, and to win was a very nice bonus. He’ll step up in trip next time out, and I very much hope that he can progress through the novice chasing ranks and give us all some good days out this year.

From Wetherby it was a quick drive down to Uttoxeter for the bumper, where DAYDREAM AULMES was having his second start for us. It was another warm bumper, but he showed himself to be a classy horse for the future, passing all but the eventual winner in the home straight to finish second. He had a very good horse in front of him, and some very nice horses behind him, and he’s one that I’m excited about.

Winners are always emotional, but when the winner is the oldest horse in the yard, it brings a lump to your throat.

RED ADMIRABLE had struggled last year with his wind, but we sorted that out over the summer and its given him a new lease of life. Now 11, he showed he was in good heart on his seasonal return at Uttoxeter when he finished second over an inadequate 2 miles, and going one better today to win was just what the doctor ordered. That’s his 5th win from 30 starts for us, and probably the sweetest yet ! So long as the handicapper doesn’t do anything silly, there’s a good chance he could win again despite the advancing years.

Much better today at Bangor from FOLLOW THE SWALLOW, who had been so disappointing at Worcester on his seasonal. He had a tongue tie and a visor on today, and I think the former helped his wind a little while the latter made him concentrate. On today’s evidence there’s a race to be won with him, particularly over a bit further.

PADDYS RUNNER was unlucky to meet trouble in running on the final bend, which cost him any chance of running into the frame. He stayed on to pass horses into fifth, and being honest I don’t think he would have caught the winner even with a clear run, but I think he would have finished in 3rd if he hadn’t been so badly hampered. Still, rough and tumble of a boys race is all part of the game.

A much better run from SAMMYLOU in the bumper too. He’d been ridiculously keen first time out, and he settled much better today. That meant that he had something left in the tank to make his way past horses in the straight, and he ran into fourth to get delighted connections into the winners enclosure for the first time with him. On that showing he’s got a shout of winning a bumper as he grows up, but given that he’s a 3miler in the making, the fun with him is really going to come when he goes over a trip and some obstacles.

2 boxes in different directions today, with GENEROUS CHIEF heading west to Taunton and ALEXANDER THE GREY heading east to Fakenham.

ALEXANDER THE GREY fared best of the pair, but a mistake at the last just cost him distance and momentum, and he had to settle for a place again. He’s finding real consistency now, and he is a horse that deserves to get his head in front. He just needs a change of luck.

GENEROUS CHIEF is one that sulks unless he has his head in front, and a slow start and a slow jump at the first meant that his race was over before it had ever really started. He got further and further behind as the race unfolded, and the best that can probably be said is that he had a nice day out and came home in one piece !